Where's the Cheapest Gas in St. Pete?

Heading out to the beach or a barbecue this long holiday weekend? Perhaps you're taking a road trip to visit family or for a short vacation to Disney.

You may want to check gas prices first. They are expected to rise, especially as the weekend draws near.

Check for local gas prices here. If your neighborhood gas stations do not appear automatically on the screen above, use the handy search engine. Here's how:

• Make sure to click here for a full-screen view of the gas price map.
• Click the magnifying glass in the upper right.
• Enter your zipcode or full address.

Here were some cheap spots in zipcode 33704:

1.) The Circle K at 2749 9th Ave. North was selling gas at $3.30, as of Tuesday, May 21.

2.) The Circle K at 1598 54th Ave. North was selling gas at $3.31, as of Monday, May 20.

"If you can gas up today to prepare for your Memorial Day driving, do so," said Chuck Bonner, the lead analyst for GasPredictor.com.

"Motorists this year are facing rising gas prices heading into the Memorial Day holiday," added Michael Green, AAA spokesman, adding that Memorial Day 2013 would probably be the most expensive since 2011.

In past years, prices have declined heading into early summer as oil refineries produced more gasoline to meet expected summer driving demand. This year, though, Midwest refineries haven't been able to produce as much gas, which has pushed prices to all-time highs.

"This is one of the more volatile Memorial Day weekends that I can remember," Patrick DeHaan, senior petroleum analyst at GasBuddy.com, told Patch.

While you can't control the price at the pump, you might be able to control how much gas your car burns. AAA offered these tips:

• Properly inflate your tires
• Avoid flooring the accelerator and slamming on the brakes
• Drive the speed limit
• Keep up-to-date on routine vehicle maintenence

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